According to his pref., the work is based on notes taken by two of the author’s sons during conversations he had with guests on problems of government. Wang then edited the text, avoiding redundancy vis-a-vis his Zuozhi yaoyan (q.v.): the two works therefore complement each other. The 124 entries cover matters found in standard magistrate handbooks. The emphasis is laid on the official’s behavior, ethics, and intercourse with colleagues, subordinates, and the larger society, rather than on technical administrative details. Ever since its publication, Xuezhi yishuo has been held as a sort of model, perhaps the classic, standard magistrate handbook. As suggested by some of the prefs., a number of eds. not listed above must have been published. For two continuations of the work, see Xuezhi xushuo and Xuezhi shuozhui (qq.v.).